Aspire Magazinehttp://www.aspire.org.ng
Helping You Soar!Wed, 08 Apr 2015 21:22:58 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.6#A Life of Laughterhttp://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/03/a-life-of-laughter-2/
http://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/03/a-life-of-laughter-2/#commentsSun, 08 Mar 2015 15:56:00 +0000http://www.aspire.org.ng/?p=2169Life, you can’t subdue me because I refuse to take your discipline too seriously. When you try to hurt me, I laugh and the laughter knows no pain. I appreciate your joys wherever I find them; your sorrows neither frighten nor discourage me, for there is laughter in my soul. Life, you are a fickle…

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Life, you can’t subdue me because I refuse to take your discipline too seriously. When you try to hurt me, I laugh and the laughter knows no pain. I appreciate your joys wherever I find them; your sorrows neither frighten nor discourage me, for there is laughter in my soul.
Life, you are a fickle trickster-don’t deny it. You slipped the emotion of love into my heart so that you might use it as a thorn with which to prick my soul but I learned to dodge your trap with laughter. You tried to lure me with the desire for gold, but I have fooled you by following the trial which leads to knowledge instead.
You induced me to build beautiful friendships- then converted my friends to enemies so you may harden my heart, but I sidestepped your figure on this by laughing off your attempts and selecting new friends in my own way. You caused men to cheat me at trade so I will become distrustful, but I won again because I possess one precious asset which no man can steal. It is the power to think my own thoughts and be myself.
You threaten me with death, but to me death is nothing worse than a long peaceful sleep, and sleep is the sweetest of human experiences- expecting laughter.
You have nothing that can lure me away from laughter and, you are powerless to scare me into submission.
To a life of laughter, then, I raise my cup of cheers!!!
-Anonymous

#The truth is whenever it seems that we are being choked up with the demands of life ,we just have to take time to re-evaluate things and we would realise there is so much to laugh about and be thankful for .It all depends on the way we see it…

]]>http://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/03/a-life-of-laughter-2/feed/0The Ancient Rulehttp://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/the-ancient-rule/
http://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/the-ancient-rule/#commentsSat, 21 Feb 2015 09:02:59 +0000http://www.aspire.org.ng/?p=2128- “Whatever is affixed to the soil belongs to the soil” — Anglo-Saxon Law – “Essentially, all life depends upon the soil .there can be no life without soil and no soil without life; they have evolved together.” — Charles E. Kellogg, USDA Yearbook of Agriculture , 1938 – “Land, then, is not merely soil;…

]]>- “Whatever is affixed to the soil belongs to the soil” — Anglo-Saxon Law

– “Essentially, all life depends upon the soil .there can be no life without soil and no soil without life; they have evolved together.” — Charles E. Kellogg, USDA Yearbook of Agriculture , 1938

– “Land, then, is not merely soil; it is a fountain of energy flowing
through a circuit of soils, plants, and animals.” — Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac, 1949

– “Be it deep or shallow, red or black, sand or clay, the soil is the
link between the rock core of the earth and the living things on its
surface. It is the foothold for the plants we grow. Therein lies the
main reason for our interest in soils.” — Roy W. Simonson, USDA
Yearbook of Agriculture , 1957

– “We are part of the earth and it is part of us … What befalls the
earth befalls all the sons of the earth.” — Chief Seattle,1852

– “… the Latin name for man, homo, derived from humus, the stuff of life in the soil.” — Dr. Daniel Hillel

– “Each soil has had its own history. Like a river, a mountain, a
forest, or any natural thing, its present condition is due to the
influences of many things and events of the past.” — Charles Kellogg

– “Nature has endowed the earth with glorious wonders and vast
resources that man may use for his own ends. Regardless of our tastes or our way of living, there are none that present more variations to tax our imagination than the soil, and certainly none so important to our ancestors, to us, and to our children.” — Charles Kellogg

– “The soil is the great connector of our lives, the source and destination of all.” — Wendell Berry, The Unsettling of America , 1977

– “I would rather be tied to the soil as a serf … than be king of all
these dead and destroyed.” — Homer, Odyssey

– “Man and man’s earth are unexhausted and undiscovered. Wake and listen! Verily, the earth shall yet be a source of recovery. Remain faithful to the earth, with the power of your virtue. Let your gift-giving love and your knowledge serve the meaning of the earth.” — Friedrich Nietzche

– “How can I stand on the ground everyday and not feel its power? How can I live my life stepping on this stuff and not wonder at it?” — William Bryant Logan

– “We shall never achieve harmony with land any more than we shall achieve justice or liberty for people. In these higher aspirations the important thing is not to achieve, but to strive.” — Aldo Leopold

– “To be a successful farmer one must first know the nature of the
soil.” — Xenophon, Oeconomicus , 400 B.C.

– “If the soil is destroyed, then our liberty of action and choice are
gone …” — W.C. Lowdermilk, 1953

– “Soils are developed; they are not merely an accumulation of debris resulting from decay of rock and organic materials. In other words, a soil is an entity – an object in nature which has characteristics that distinguish it from all other objects in nature.” — C.E.Millar &
L.M.Turk, 1943

– “The soil itself must be the object of observation and experiment and the facts obtained must be soil facts before they can be incorporated into soil science. The science of zoology was developed through the study of animals that of botany through the study of plants, and soil science must be developed through the study of the soil.” — C. F. Marbut, 1920

]]>http://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/the-ancient-rule/feed/0A Step at a Timehttp://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/a-step-at-a-time/
http://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/a-step-at-a-time/#commentsSat, 21 Feb 2015 09:00:24 +0000http://www.aspire.org.ng/?p=2116Great things start in small ways, Christopher Columbus,the man who discovered American coast, started his famous journeys across the seas one day. The journey of many kilometres will come to an end when you take a step at a time. Any journey no matter how long, will neither commence nor come at an end until…

]]>Great things start in small ways, Christopher Columbus,the man who discovered American coast, started his famous journeys across the seas one day. The journey of many kilometres will come to an end when you take a step at a time. Any journey no matter how long, will neither commence nor come at an end until there is courage to take the first step.

Great ideas too can be realized by taking a step at a time. To move from the zone of mediocrity to the camp of brilliant achievers takes courage and determination, it does not matter how small the days achievement may seem, fact is that it is a step forward. Any task achieved in a day is good for
you remember that drops of water makes a mighty ocean. By God’s grace you will become a person of significance in life. Procrastination and postponement are two great hindrances to taking action.

Individuals who are not decisive will put off, delay or defer and rearrange actions necessary
to move them forward.

Most times, an individual who shifts what to do today to a more convenient time tomorrow never gets any time to do it. Individuals
who find pleasures in leisure rather than reading, studying and researching will spend most of their days in mediocrity. It is imperative to note that working hard and working smart is important. Make today memorial, start your journey to the top from now.

]]>http://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/a-step-at-a-time/feed/0Eight Hazards of Mobile Phone Usagehttp://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/eight-hazards-of-mobile-phone-usage/
http://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/eight-hazards-of-mobile-phone-usage/#commentsSat, 21 Feb 2015 08:58:43 +0000http://www.aspire.org.ng/?p=2122Apparently, most individual subscribe to the fact that, mobile phones don’t have negative effect on man. Others think that mobile phones could cause cancer; this isn’t the only health hazard that has been reported. We all are probably so addicted to our phones that we are unknowingly destroying our health. Here are some health risks…

]]>Apparently, most individual subscribe to the fact that, mobile phones don’t have negative effect on man. Others think that mobile phones could cause cancer; this isn’t the only health hazard that has been reported. We all are probably so addicted to our phones that we are unknowingly destroying our health.

Here are some health risks of
mobile phones you should be aware of:

1. Cancer
Mobile phones emit radiofrequency (RF) fields a 1000 times greater than what is emitted from base stations. It’s obvious that this increased emission is likely to have some adverse effect on health of users.

It suggests that development of brain tumor due to mobile use may take at least 20-25 years. And no one has really used a mobile phone for that long.

2. Sleep Disorder:
Somehow night-time has always been favorite among regular chatting and gossiping freaks. Individuals spend more time on chatting and sometimes unrealistic duties which alternatively lead to sleeplessness. With time you develop sleep disorder.

3. Increased Accident Risk:
Whether you are an iPhone, flip phone or a Blackberry user; the chances that you will check your phone aggressively while travelling are undoubtedly higher. Be it while driving or while crossing the road, mobile phone can be a potential distraction. It is therefore imperative to desist from usage of phone while on drive or on the road path.

4. Infertility:
Beware men! Your phone can even make you infertile. As of now there is enough evidence to show that mobile phone radiation decreases sperm count in male rats.

5. Hearing Impairment:
Today, every alternate person on the street has earphones plugged in. But that’s not the only reason why hearing loss is increasing in youth and adults. Your mobile radiation is an additional factor that’s making you deaf. Loud volume of eye phones, head phones, and constant use leads to impairment in hearing and in turn constituent a serious trauma to health.

6. Eye Problems:
A lot of people use their mobiles to read e-books; do web surfing, etc. apart from texting. When you do so, the glaring screen and small font size put a lot of strain on your eyes, especially if you’re reading in the dark.

Mobile devices have smaller screens so you tend squint or open up your eyes wide open and blink lesser number of times. This can cause dry eyes, irritation and reddening.

7. Skin Allergies
Most mobile phones have a typical metallic sheen to make them look more attractive. Such phones contain potential skin allergens like nickel, chromium and cobalt which cause cell phone dermatitis.

8. Infections
How many of you use your phones in the restroom? Here’s a good reason why you shouldn’t. Cell phones not only serve as a home for your valuable data but also carry millions of infectious organisms. A study found that mobile devices are highly contaminated with organisms from fecal origin.

]]>http://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/eight-hazards-of-mobile-phone-usage/feed/0Make A Way, Not An Excusehttp://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/make-a-way-not-an-excuse/
http://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/make-a-way-not-an-excuse/#commentsSat, 21 Feb 2015 08:53:30 +0000http://www.aspire.org.ng/?p=2114Excuse making is a common behaviour among many today,most times, people make more excuses that make no sense. The easiest way to avoid any challenge is by making an excuse instead of finding reasonable solutions to the problems confronting them in their studies, most students often find excuses for their inabilities. Those among them,who cannot…

]]>Excuse making is a common behaviour among many today,most times, people make more excuses that make no sense.

The easiest way to avoid any challenge is by making an excuse instead of finding reasonable solutions to the problems confronting them in their studies, most students often find excuses for their inabilities. Those among them,who cannot find any excuses, formulate some to justify their lateness to school, work, absence in class, poor study habits and performance among others. Excuse making does not facilitate progress but tend to bring backwardness and hoodlums, it is usually a way of exonerating oneself from essential necessities of labour.

There will be always a way out of any problem if we desist from finding or making an excuse, it is better to make a way to progress and prosperity in life than to make an excuse why we cannot make progress. Excuse making is channelling your creative potentials in a wrong direction. It is a waste of creative energy to think through and fabricate an excuse why something has not or cannot be done.

Diligent and good students do not make excuses but make a way through creative powers to excel even in difficult situations.

You will always discover that students that are fond of making excuses are always in the camp of mediocrity. Don’t be an expert in excuse making but dare to do exploits in making a way to success.

]]>http://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/make-a-way-not-an-excuse/feed/0The Challenges of Internethttp://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/the-challenges-of-internet/
http://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/the-challenges-of-internet/#commentsSat, 21 Feb 2015 08:52:02 +0000http://www.aspire.org.ng/?p=2118The internet is a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computers that use series of network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange. Since the coming of the internet, many new words and thoughts have emerged, cultures have emerged and the whole world has shrunk into the desktop as it is possible to…

]]>The internet is a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computers that use series of network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange. Since the coming of the internet, many new words and thoughts have emerged, cultures have emerged
and the whole world has shrunk into the desktop as it is possible to connect with anything, anywhere, good or bad, once you are on the net.

However, it is very important for young people that our creator is still our creator even on the internet. What we read or write, what we say or hear what we
watch or copy on the internet must still be what we know our God will approve.

Those who involve in making bet, watching porns etc. should desist
from such as the “lines” of the net has gone through the earth so has the power and ability of God to monitor everything through the 24 hours in all the 7 days in a week. Since he that watches over us never sleeps nor slumbers, he has the ability to record everything that we read, send to
others or watch.

Internet can be used to gain both secular and spiritual knowledge, make good use of the net positively and worldly which is against Gods approval remember anything good in life can be misused.

]]>http://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/the-challenges-of-internet/feed/0Peacehttp://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/peace/
http://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/peace/#commentsSat, 21 Feb 2015 08:50:55 +0000http://www.aspire.org.ng/?p=2120Peace I think is godliness, It is next to cleanliness, It’s a sign for holiness, And does not pardon lowliness The fruit of peace is kindness, Some who hate peace find blindness, Their lot is always sadness, While peace maker reap goodness. Peace depicts maturity, And ensures prosperity, It endures austerity. Peace ensures stability, And…

]]>http://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/peace/feed/0All Grace Events Concepts Limited Opens Full Operation in Nigeriahttp://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/all-grace-events-concepts-limited-opens-full-operation-in-nigeria/
http://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/all-grace-events-concepts-limited-opens-full-operation-in-nigeria/#commentsSat, 21 Feb 2015 08:44:26 +0000http://www.aspire.org.ng/?p=2124All Grace Events Concepts Limited is all surpassing and devoted in providing first class EVENT MANAGEMENT and PROFESSIONAL SERVICES at your fingertips with great pride as the best event manager in Nigeria and Africa as they open full operation in Nigeria. All Grace Events Concepts Limited is a multinational company based in Nigeria with two…

]]>All Grace Events Concepts Limited is all surpassing and devoted in providing first class EVENT MANAGEMENT and PROFESSIONAL SERVICES at your fingertips with great pride as the best event manager in Nigeria and Africa as they open full operation in Nigeria.

All Grace Events Concepts Limited is a multinational company based in Nigeria with two offices in Ibadan (Jaagee House, No 88, KM 6 Ibadan-Ife express way Olode, Ibadan) and Lagos (NO 25, gboyega kilo street off Olaleke Taiwo street, Ojodo grammar school Lagos). Which was established in 2010 with high growing capacity to cut across various locations as time passes by.

Everything in life is programme
towards an expiration date just as life itself but All Grace Events Concepts Limited has come to stay with unprecedented stability. The greatness of imagination comes from all those within it,Individuals with diverse skills and backgrounds, drawn from every discipline to work in one common purpose.

Their intention is to satisfy their clients with exclusive event management in Artist/celebrity
Booking, Event planning, Event coordination, Event protocol, Event Security, Event Venue Coordination, Event Souvenirs, Accommodation among
others and preserve the standard as optimism is their mark. They provide fantastic corporate event package, social event package, golden event package, royal package, among others. It is imperative to note that, an event can only be made manifest in exploits if well planned and coordinated.

For couples who would like to feel royalty on their wedding day, surrounding themselves with an elegant atmospheres and a nice ambience, walking on a red carpet of red rose petals or couples who deserve an elegant wedding
dress and wear or if you are in need of finalisation of your details on your wedding, or any program or are you planning event and feeling clueless as to what you should do? All Grace Events Concept Limited is your preferred Solution.

All Grace Events Concepts Limited have well trained and mannered protocols to give your guest the best service and satisfaction
well deserved, AGEC are into training and re-training of your protocols in team work , proactivity, ushering, fire and safety precautions among others to deem them fit for professional services.

]]>http://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/all-grace-events-concepts-limited-opens-full-operation-in-nigeria/feed/0A Good Namehttp://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/a-good-name/
http://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/a-good-name/#commentsSat, 21 Feb 2015 08:44:15 +0000http://www.aspire.org.ng/?p=2126A Good name in man and woman is the immediate jewel of their souls, who steals my purse steal trash, it’s something, nothing has been share to thousands but he that filches from me my good name robs me of that which does not enrich him and make me poor indeed. A good name is…

]]>A Good name in man and woman is the immediate jewel of their souls, who steals my purse steal trash, it’s something, nothing has been share to thousands but he that filches from me my good name robs me of that which
does not enrich him and make me poor indeed.

A good name is precious, it’s
like a jewel, it is more important than wealth. Wealth is nothing without a good name, a good name can give you wealth but wealth cannot give you a good name. it cannot be purchased with money. It takes time to establish a
good name that is why man of proven integrity does all things within their power guard their good name and repetition.

It is therefore imperative to note that a good name should be jealously guarded. You may face a good name in the sense that you are trying to be what you are not because such a name is not built on sound moral principle, it cannot stand the test of time.

Here are 7 optimistic ideas of a good name:
1. Those who desire good name are not greedy, they are always contented with what they have
2. People who want good name don’t cut corners i.e. they don’t want to be rich over night.
3. If you believe in “if you can’t beat them, join them”, you cannot have a good name
4. Harlots, drug addicts, alcoholics, armed robbers, embezzlers, cultists etc. have no good name
5. Students who sell their body for money or marks have no good name
6. A teacher who awards mark to students for money has no good name
7. Those who wants good name will avoid the company of those with bad habits.

]]>http://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/a-good-name/feed/0How to Make Okpahttp://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/how-to-make-okpa/
http://www.aspire.org.ng/2015/02/how-to-make-okpa/#commentsSat, 21 Feb 2015 08:43:41 +0000http://www.aspire.org.ng/?p=2132The Okpa is so good that many people have tried severally but failed to replicate the unique taste in their own homes. But the secret to making the best Okpa is to use as few ingredients as possible because okpa beans have a natural delicious flavour. This flavour is ruined when people start adding lots…

Okpa wrappers
In addition to the wrappers below, you will also need a strong food safe string/twine for tying the wrappers. Use the strings from the big Nigerian rice bag, you know, the 50kg bags of rice.

Notes about the ingredients
1.
Okpa beansis known as Bambara groundnut or simply Bambara nut. There are different species of Okpa. It comes in small podswhich you crack open to release the seeds. The seeds are very hard and only special heavy duty grinders found in Nigeria can easily turn these seeds into powder. So, this one is not a job for your kitchen dry mill.
If you live outside Nigeria, you can buy Okpa flour on Amazon. You can also ask family or friends to send you Okpa flour from Nigeria. The customs of most countries will allow it because it is dry powder.

2.
You need enough oil to give the okpa a popping yellow colour and to improve the taste.

3.
Okpa does not need much seasoning so the ingredients listed above are all you need. Onions and crayfish ruin the natural delicious flavour of okpa.

4.
The Okpa mix may seem watery but 1.2 litres of water is the quantity of water you need for the perfect Okpa texture. If you add much less water, you will end up with rocky Okpa.

Before you cook Okpa

1.
Prepare the banana leaves by washing them in plenty of salt water. If you have a banana/plantain tree in your backyard, you need to wilt the leaves by passing them over a low flame, then leave them to dry up before using them. You cannot wrap Okpa with fresh banana leaves.

2.
Crush the stock/bouillon cubes.

3.
Slice the habanero pepper into small pieces.

4.
Prepare 1.2 litres of lukewarm water.

Cooking Directions

1.
Sift the Okpa flour into a big enough bowl. Add salt and the crushed stock cubes. Mix very well.

2.
Add the palm oil. Mix the palm oil and flour very well till the palm oil is well incorporated into the flour. You will have a nice even yellow colour when done.

3.
Pour a generous quantity of water in a big pot and set on the stove to boil.

4.
Start adding the lukewarm water to the Okpa flour and mix till there are no lumps. Watch the video below to see how I crush the lumps without stress by passing the mix through a sieve with a wire mesh. You can also use a blender to get the smoothest mix. But that’s a lot of washing up to do later.

5.
Add the sliced habanero pepper. Check for salt and add more if necessary and it’s ready to be scooped into the wrappers!

6.
Now the water in the pot should be boiling. If not, wait for it to boil and add some spare wrappers or plastic bags before moving on to the next step. These wrappers and plastic bags act as a base for the Okpa wraps.

7.
Now to a major step: wrapping the okpa
8.
Stir the okpa mix very well and scoop into the leaf/plastic bag. Tie the other end with a string and place the wrapped okpa in the pot of boiling water. It is important that the Okpa is completely immersed in the hot water.

9.
Repeat the above step for the rest of the mix. Make sure you stir the mix, scoop into the wrapper, tie with the string and put in the pot of boiling water before wrapping another one.